The Art of Rangoli

YaKenda McGahee: Rupal Bhandari begins her day each morning decorating her patio
with a little colored sand. In doing so, she nurtures a century old
tradition that flourishes in India even today.

Rupal is a celebrated Rangoli artist and even offers workshops on
the Indian Art of Sand Painting.

Like other folk artist, Rupal uses the sand to convey hidden
symbols and retell and share her stories. Rupal invited me into her
beautiful home where we talked about this fascinating tradition.

Hi I’m YaKenda.

Rupal Bhandari: Hi, nice to meet you YaKenda.

YaKenda McGahee: Nice to meet you, here from Blank Canvas.

Rupal Bhandari: Okay.

YaKenda McGahee: Well, are you my Rangoli teacher today?

Rupal Bhandari: Yeah.

YaKenda McGahee: Oh, I’m so excited to learn all about it.

Rupal Bhandari: The art of sand painting is quite old and was popular among many
age of cultures. In the Indian tradition, the sand is a metaphor for
the impermanence of life. The artist dedicates herself to the
process of making the Rangoli without getting attached to the final
creation, because like life, these explicit designs are short lived.

Rupal first of all thank you very much for having us here today.

YaKenda McGahee: Yeah, it’s my pleasure.

Rupal Bhandari: Okay, can we start with what is Rangoli because I’m all new with
this. I’m in Blank Canvas and I need you to explain it all. So what
exactly is Rangoli?

YaKenda McGahee: Okay, Rangoli is a Sanskrit word that means the creative
expression of art through the colors. And it is mainly painted in the
courtyard and the front entrance of the house on the floor and also
on the walls.

In the olden days they were using rice flour, wheat flour and
limestone and then put some kind of colors like oil match from
colors like turmeric, so in this art everyday they do it.

Rupal Bhandari: Oh, wow okay.

YaKenda McGahee: So everyday this lady of the house that she gets — the first thing
and she takes shower and the first thing she will go outside the
house with the Rangoli.

Now is it suppose to be in a specific place on the ground like right
in front of the door, as you walk to the door, where is the —?

Rupal Bhandari: It’s the entrance of the door and the two sides of the door. So if
you can enter and would like some welcoming for the guests also
like if everybody comes it look nice and beautiful in that area. It’s
very welcoming.

YaKenda McGahee: Does all Rangoli have, let’s say the same shape, the same colors of
uses of do they vary? Can you do anything? What makes it
Rangoli?

Rupal Bhandari: Okay, all the designs and mainly the motifs of leaves, fruit, birds
and some geometrical figures.

YaKenda McGahee: Nice. So talk to me about the cultural significance of Rangoli, what
it means in the Indian culture?

Rupal Bhandari: As I told you this is the first day and the morning they maybe get
up and do the Rangoli and also for the festive occasion, special
Rangoli’s are made. They’re big and they’re very colorful. During
diwali mainly we mix colorful Rangoli in front of the houses and
also they portray you know during any – you know — the -- of any
good occasions or the festive occasions they put it there. And in
gender like everyday, they put very small but then when it is a
festive occasion, they’re bigger Rangoli they are making.

YaKenda McGahee: Can I have more, I mean because you mentioned prosperity—to
bring prosperity to the house and welcoming, can it have any other
meanings?

Rupal Bhandari: Good luck, yeah and like you know like it feel of freshness when
you start the day with these colorful things in the area—

YaKenda McGahee: Yes, a brand new day, all new around, starting over, a new
beginning. I like that.

Rupal explains that Rangoli is not restricted to colored sand alone.
As an example she created a fascinating design using colored
lentils.

Rupal Bhandari: I just started and the things came in my mind was a geometrical
figures and I started with the dal — dal. I have all these colorful
dals with me.

YaKenda McGahee: You know I’m just trying to get at the dal but anyway —

I learned this Rangoli from my mom and grand mom.

Rupal Bhandari: Oh really?

YaKenda McGahee: So everyday I was looking at them, they get up in the morning.
They use to do this. When I was around teen, I started to help them
and eventually I started to make my own and doing it especially
doing the Rangoli —Diwali time I make my own nice colorful
Rangoli so you know eventually I learned and now overtime doing
this, I’m teaching my daughter so that way the culture continue.

Rupal Bhandari: Yes.

YaKenda McGahee: When I started doing it I was around teen — you know at that time
you have a control on putting the powder or the rice so —